I know we are an international bunch on the forum. I'm interested to ask...

...does anybody own guns as a means of protecting their family?

I don't. I don't feel the need, thankfully. I guess I'm lucky to feel my location is pretty safe. It's not a great location for kids what with busy roads, lack of play-mates etc but it's a safe spot *touches wood*

I don't own one because I would shoot at everything that moved and I would spend a lot of time at the gun range. I'm from one of the sniper capitals of the world so when I need a gun I just start calling "sniper" "sniper" usually does the trick. There's always a sniper for hire somewhere especially when they know you need them. In Dallas snipers are common to those who know they are available. I love them.

got ray, no gun. I live in a suburban neighborhood with some factor of "safety in numbers". Coincidently, my neighbors on all 4 sides of my house are soldiers. So that is another factor of safety. I suppose if a stranger appeared in my home I could lure him upstairs and then ram him and push him throught the railing and off of the balcony to the hard tile floor below.

I live in one of the most violent cities in the US, Chicago, and I've heard and seen gun violence near me and my condo many time. This summer 4 people were shot right behind my garage, like right behind it, and some guy across the street was shot int he head this summer, and that's only the stuff you hear about.

I will never own a gun, and have been horrified for many years of the gun culture in this country. Even if, as many on the other side of the argument say, gun regulations won't solve our problems, I believe strongly that we should have as many regulations as we can, while still doing more to help our other problems that cause these things. Mental health, poverty, violence and how it's depicted in the media, all things that need a lot of work in our society. It's not an either/or argument.

But on guns, re-pass the assault weapon ban, have strict background checks for every person who buys a gun, and other things. We regulate humans in many ways for our own safety, seems like lethal weapons should be one of them.

That town in Connecticut had a lot of gun culture, whether it was related or not, it existed there. And the mother of the 20 year old with difficulties, owned 3 guns which he gained access to somehow and used.

It boggles my mind that the arguments on the other side include getting rid of the bans on weapons in schools, and allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons. And of course allowing christianity to be part of the child's indoctrination in public schools.

I disagree so strongly with either of these things that it causes my blood pressure to go up.

I live in one of the most violent cities in the US, Chicago, and I've heard and seen gun violence near me and my condo many time. This summer 4 people were shot right behind my garage, like right behind it, and some guy across the street was shot int he head this summer, and that's only the stuff you hear about.